Batman: Aging Knight
by The Gray Streak
Summary: A 50 year old Batman continues his war on crime while battling psychological and physical obstacles along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I do not own Batman or any related characters.

First ever Fanfic. Hope you enjoy.

It had been raining heavily for two weeks straight in Gotham,as if mother nature was desperate to wash away the city's sins.

Despite these terrible conditions,the citizens pushed on through,desperate to enjoy of what remained of their friday night.

On the streets it was loud and clumsy,people and cars briskly moving about,trying hard to stay dry while enjoying the evening. Music boomed from nearby nightclubs and restaurants were fully packed where the lucky people kept dry and entertained.

Above however it was silent,the towering ancient buildings of downtown Gotham casting an authoritative shadow over it's inhabitants. Etched into these buildings were the old gargoyles,silent guardians from french lore and perched atop them was the silent figure.

Aside from his thick cape that blew slightly in the wind and his rectangular head that slowly moved back and forth to observe the streets,he was still and quite. He enjoyed it too but he of all people knew all too well that silence could be broken quite fast,just as the faint beep from his cowl. signaled he had a call waiting.

Batman reached up and tapped a gloved finger to his left ear piece,allowing the link between himself and whomever was calling from the Batcave miles away to connect. In this case it was Alfred.

"You do realize this is a school night Master Bruce ?" Alfred's familiar accent pierced into Batman's ear. "A playboy after all is still a boy" Batman rolled his eyes,even at the tender age of 50,Alfred still treated him as if he was half that age. "I'll be back soon Alfred,just finishing up patrol. I.. hope you're not waiting up on me to eat your dinner" a pause. "There was indeed a time where I believed that you would return within the same day of your "patrol",but those days have long since passed. I left your dinner in the batmicrowave if you feel like eating it. I assume you know how to use such a device ?" Another joke.

"Goodbye Alfred" Batman said as he turned off the radio,surprised by the faint smirk etched on his face. Not many things made him smile. Perhaps he was getting soft in his old age. Batman cast one last look at the streets below before standing up,only to wince at his sudden movement. He had been in a crouched position for well over an hour and the sudden change of stance hurt. There was no doubt about it that Batman was indeed aging. Sighing Batman turned away only to have his gaze ripped back to the street by two words. "Mommy Daddy!"

Batman squinted his blue eyes,making out three figures: A man,A woman and a young child,a boy. They weren't particularly interesting at a glance but Batman found himself glued to them. Perhaps it was way the man wore a suit jacket similar to Thomas Wayne's or how the woman wore white pearls across her neck just like Martha Waynes. Or maybe it was the fact that the three had come out of a showing of "The Mark of Zorro".

The little boy began to speak to the woman,obviously his mother though in a softer tone as he had probably been hushed previously. Batman touched his earpiece and after turning a dial he could hear exactly what they were saying as if he stood next to them.

"Can we see it again. Can we see it again?!" the boy said excitedly. His mother laughed. "Did you really like it that much?" She sounded disbelieved. "Yeah I did! Daddy was right,those old movies are actually really really good! Right Daddy ?" The boy looked up to his father for an answer but the man seemed preoccupied scanning the street,looking stressed. "Of course,it's raining buckets and not a damn taxi in sight" He looked to his wife. "What do you wanna do ? There's no bus route to our neighborhood." A pause. "We could cut through that alleyway over there,we don't exactly live across town" She pointed and Batman followed her gaze and froze. The alleyway looked dark and dank,not the most ideal place to go in Gotham. Batman looked back at the man who looked like he was thinking it over. "Don't do it" a voice said and Batman was surprised to know it was his."Alright lets go " the man said as him and his wife took hold of either hand of their son and began to walk across the street.

Batman was already in motion. He scampered across the rooftops quickly and indiscreetly his boots pattering against the small clumps of puddles. The alleyway was three buildings away and the family was already nearing it. Batman leaped and landed on the roof of an old bar and continued onward. Another leap. He was beginning to tire and he nearly missed the final building,only managing to grip the edge out of a stroke of luck. "Got to remember to lighten the capes weight again" Batman thought as he pulled himself up and peered into the alley below.

The family of three had just turned into the alleyway. For a moment they halted,their curious eyes peering down the dark corridor that awaited them. "John,maybe we should just wait for a taxi. We are in Gotham after all,I'm sure the wait won't be that long". "Nono it's fine Mary" John replied though he didn't sound so sure. Batman could pretty much taste the fear in his tone. The family trudged forward,passing overturned garbage cans,old news papers and even a dead crow along the way. Batman followed a short distance behind,three stories above. If one were to casually look up they'd spot him immediately but he didn't really care. For some reason getting this family safety to their destination was his greatest priority. For a moment the trio walked passed a headlight,their shadows casting long,garish images on the opposite wall,catching the eye of two men huddled underneath a low level doorway.

Batman slowed his pace and eyed them. They were dressed in rags though one man had an expensive looking hat atop his head. They were clearly homeless and there was no way he could afford such a thing. It was stolen. After watching the family pass the two men began to speak in hushed whispers. The man with the hat nodded and the two men began to follow the family,who were almost out. Batman quickened his pace and watched as one man began to pull something from his inside pocket. That was more than enough for the Dark Knight.

Batman leaped from the rooftops and landed hard in the alley below. Though it wasn't on the old cement,it was right a top the man with the expensive hat. The man screamed as Batman as batman fastened a hand around the mans throat and he automatically choked on the last sound Not forgetting about his partner Batman jerked his head to see the man in complete disbelieve. "What the fu-" he began before Batman silenced him with a punch. The man stumbled crashing into a heap of garbage.

Batman stood up and slowly turned to the family. Like the man he may have crippled,the family was shocked. John and Mary were holding their son in a death grip who was so frightened he had turned white. Batman knew that the look the child gave him would stay with him forever. He slowly stepped foward only for the family to cower backwards. Mary even whimpered slightly. "You don't understand..." Batman began,his voice surprisingly hoarse. "They were going to mug you.." "MUG them?!" Batman turned to the thick Gotham accent from behind. The man Batman had punched was bleeding from the temple but was on his feet,caring for his friend that was still unconscious. The fury in his grey eyes were like volcanoes exploding. "We're panhandlers you fucking lunatic,we were just gonna ask for some spare cash,hell some spare change. CHANGE!". The man held up a tin,a common item used to collect change in. Batman felt sick as he realized that that's what the man was reaching for from his jacket.

Batman backed away and casted one last look at the family before reaching for a his grappnel gun. He fired it high in the air,it's end burying itself in the building above. With a press of a button Batman was soaring through the sky. There was a time Batman thought this was slightly exhilarating,mostly due to Robin constantly yelling "Woo-hoo!" whenever he was using one. But know ? He felt like he was dead inside.


	2. Chapter 2

"No...NO!" Bruce shot up straight in his bed,drenched in sweat.

"Just a nightmare" Bruce thought. The family had remained in his head long after he had left them in the alleyway. They had remained when he returned home,stripped off his costume and plopped himself at the Batcomputer. They had remained when he tried to do some minor work there and succeeded in distracting him until he eventually gave up. He had thought that sleep may shake them away,only for them to return in his dreams,there screams of terror as they saw the big black bat about to devour them. They haunted him.

Bruce stood up and reached toward a robe,hanging on his door only for it to fly open,revealing a red faced Alfred. "Master...Bruce..." he began,clearly exhausted. Bruce's room was on the very top floor of Wayne Manor and four flights of stairs must have been hard on the old butler. "Heard...a commotion...thought you were..." Bruce rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Easy Alfred. Just a bad dream that's all". Alfred straightened up. "Ah..very good then" he said catching his breath. "If you wanted a bed time story sir all you had to do was ask" Despite all that had happened to him the previous night,Bruce managed to crack a small smirk. "You know I installed that elevator for you right ? You could have taken that up here" The look Alfred gave Bruce was as if the latter had insulted him personally. "Poppycock" Alfred replied,smoothing out his suit jacket with gloved hands. "I've been kidnapped twice,held for ransom,escaped burning buildings and dealt with a few hooligans who thought it would be funny to slash my tires. I believe I can handle a few stairs Master Bruce." Bruce shrugged. "Suit yourself,though the installation's coming out of your paycheck. Now do you mind if I get dressed ?" Bruce had been standing in boxers the whole time. "Not at all sir" Alfred said as he backed out of the bedroom doorway. "Though I must add that the time and effort it took me to make your dinner last night is coming out of _your_ paycheck" And with that he was gone.

Bruce slowly walked into the washroom and stared at his reflection. Though most of the woman who swooned around him still found him devilishly handsome there was no denying that his former boyish charm and looks were fading away. Grey hairs had begun to creep on his temples,something the gossip magazines took great pleasure in pointing out and his face had begun to slightly sag as did the suits he often wore at events and party's. The endless nights gallivanting on rooftops had taken there tole on him,though none would suspect such a thing. To the world Bruce Wayne was just an older playboy,a Hugh Hefner-type figure who enjoyed the booze and the women. It sometimes surprised him how easily flat ginger-ale could be mistaken as champagne. If one were to mention Bruce Wayne and Batman in the same sentence,he would simply laugh it off make a joke and everything would return to the most generic and boring conversations rich people could have.

The Manor felt eerily silent as Bruce went downstairs,dressed in a robe. He glanced at a clock on the wall,reading 7 a.m. It would be another whole hour until the maids and gardeners would show up. There was a time when Bruce only trusted Alfred with the daily chores of the Manor,whom was happily to oblige but as the years waned on he realized it was unfair to leave the well being of his home to one person,and so he agreed to hire some assistance,though not without installing hidden cameras in every room,including the washrooms to make sure nothing was stolen. Most would call it paranoid,but paranoia is what kept him alive all these years.

Bruce slipped into the kitchen,noticing a fresh pot of coffee. Pouring himself a cup he plopped himself down at the table and sipped,thinking about the day and more importantly the family he had nearly scared half to death. Before his thoughts could reach murkier territory a familiar voice called his name from behind.


End file.
